National budget 9.23.09

Wednesday

Sep 23, 2009 at 12:01 AMSep 23, 2009 at 8:19 PM

GateHouse News Service National Budget
For 9/23/09 editions

Here are the top national stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/. Please submit stories below no later than 6 pm local time, unless you have breaking news that is changing significantly.

SHOESTRING LIVING: Check out our new weekly frugal column, Shoestring Living, part of our growing Stretched portfolio. This week: Groceries on a budget. For more info about Shoestring Living, check out ghnewsroom.
http://www.ghnewsroom.com/article/new-frugal-column-takes-running-gatehouse-news-service
And here’s a link to the latest column:
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/family/x393146900/Shoestring-Living-Groceries-on-a-budget

MORNING MINUTES: We've expanded what we're offering in Morning Minutes to provide your paper with more options and to give your readers a couple more interesting tidbits. It now includes Word of the Day, Web Site of the Day, Number to Know, This Day in History, Today’s Featured Birthday and Daily Quote.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/morning_minutes

HOME HELP: Weekly rail, leads with getting your wood stove ready for cold weather. Other items include decorating tips on furniture placement, a home-selling tip, how to keep your home mold-free and more.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/homepage/x593048531/Home-Help-Get-your-wood-burning-stove-ready-for-cool-weather

DEALING WITH BAD NEIGHBORS: You think you’ve found the perfect house, but after you move in you discover the one problem you never thought of: the neighbors. SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x1699590509/Have-bad-neighbors-Heres-how-to-deal-with-them

FAMILY TIME: Weekly family rail, with tips on after-school health, a review of “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs,” another scary book and more.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/family/x1073704398/Family-Time-After-school-health-101

LOST IN SUBURBIA: The secret life of refrigerators.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/family/x1101621510/Lost-in-Suburbia-The-secret-life-of-refrigerators

FREEZE YOUR VEGGIES: Preserve your garden veggies in the freezer - If you’re short on time, skill and canning jars, freezing may be the best way to preserve your garden vegetable harvest. By Kathryn Rem of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x1789524399/Preserve-your-garden-veggies-in-the-freezer

PETER CHIANCA: Birthday just another roll of the die - I’ll be reaching my 41st birthday next week, which means of course that I’ll be thinking about the inescapable specter of my own impending mortality. And also, cake!
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x1699594326/Peter-Chianca-Just-another-roll-of-the-die
- Art: Cartoon, column mug

DEIRDRE REILLY: A fifth-grade chaperone’s tale - Yesterday I was a chaperone on a fifth-grade field trip. I learned a lot of valuable things from chaperoning this field trip of 20 or so kids, and my findings are as follow.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/education/x576518346/Deirdre-Reilly-A-fifth-grade-chaperone-s-tale
- Art: Column mug

BEER NUT: Wachusett reaches the height of good taste - Fifteen years ago, the Wachusett Brewing Company started as a dream for three Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduates. The Westminster brewery, founded by Ned LaFortune, Kevin Buckler and Peter Quinn, will celebrate its 15th anniversary in November. By Norman Miller.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x1789523343/The-Beer-Nut-Wachusett-reaches-the-height-of-good-taste
- Art: 2 photos, column mug

QIGONG: Scenery and serenity: Qigong practitioners harness their energy - Every week in Weymouth, students connect to generations of Chinese and others who have also tried the meditative practice of qigong – pronounced “chee-gung” – for more than 4,000 years. Using movement and rhythmic breathing to strengthen and relax the body, qigong aims to help practitioners get in sync with their own bodies, as well. By Amelia Kunhardt.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x576518681/Scenery-and-serenity-Qigong-practitioners-harness-their-energy
- Art: 9 photos
- With video

BOILING POINT: Secret of tender short ribs -- Akau was a brilliant chef, constantly thinking, never resting, always paranoid his customers may desert him some day. Perhaps this is why he spent every waking hour over his ancient Royal two-burner stove.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x576517419/Boiling-Point-Secret-of-tender-short-ribs

WADE MCINTYRE: Dealing with pressure -- Controlling pressure is essential as we make our way through life – and cooking. I knew the problems associated with pressure cooking. Such a debacle could never happen with the marvelous
French pressure cooker, of course ...
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x2024001610/Wade-McIntyre-Dealing-with-pressure

Entertainment

SUDOKU: Puzzles for September (435-462) are available for download. Previous puzzles are linked to in this file, or visit our Puzzles category.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/puzzles/x1886174743/Sudoku-puzzles-435-462-September-puzzles

WIZARD OF OZ: Off to screen the 'Wizard' - Toto may not recognize the yellow brick road - "Oz" is going hi-def. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the film classic will be shown nationwide in 450 movie theaters for the first time ever in high-definition. By Bob Tremblay.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x593045630/Off-to-screen-the-Wizard

AMANDA JACOBS: Must-see TV - My fall schedule is looking pretty crowded. I meet up for drinks with Don Draper on Sunday nights and brush up on my dancing skills with Cat Deeley on Tuesdays. And the rest of the week gets even busier.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1789524348/Amanda-Jacobs-Must-see-TV

KENT BUSH: When is a tax not really a tax? -- President Barack Obama took a firm stance in the gray area of a black-and-white argument. He riled his opponents and fed the flames of conservative radio and television hosts who look for any chance to blast his administration. He said enforceable fees charged to people who choose not to be insured and collected by the IRS are not a tax. It sure sounds like a tax.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x2024001320/Kent-Bush-When-is-a-tax-not-really-a-tax

LORETTA LAROCHE: It’s OK to keep some thoughts private -- There seemed to be a general consensus that the collective behaviors of tennis great Serena Williams, Rep. Joe Wilson and rapper Kanye West have been inappropriate and in poor taste.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/columnists/x1789524132/Loretta-LaRoche-It-s-OK-to-keep-some-thoughts-private

EDITORIAL: What to do about porn - It's hard to read the accounts of those struggling with addictions to pornography or compulsive sex without sympathy, even anger. Obsession with online porn has led to broken marriages, lost jobs and financial ruin. It's tempting to call for a return of the bluenoses who made "Banned in Boston" famous. By MetroWest Daily News.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x593049525/Editorial-What-to-do-about-porn
- LOCALIZE SECOND GRAPH IF YOUR PAPER RAN THE HOOKED ON PORN SERIES.

EDITORIAL: Problem of porn addiction cannot be allowed to fester - Just as with illicit drugs, there are those who have no interest in Web porn, those who “experiment” with it and move on and those for whom it becomes a destructive obsession. And when it becomes an obsession, the destruction almost always extends far beyond the man holding the mouse. By The Patriot Ledger.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x593046162/Editorial-Problem-of-porn-addiction-cannot-be-allowed-to-fester
- LOCALIZE FOURTH GRAPH IF YOUR PAPER RAN THE HOOKED ON PORN SERIES.

News

HUSHING THE NEWS: Man takes hundreds of newspapers in effort to quiet news of criminal charges - Police shortly after 9 a.m. detained a van driven by Roland Hill, a Taunton man facing aggravated rape and child assault charges, parked on the side of the Taunton Daily Gazette’s building. Inside the van were piles of Tuesday’s edition — the front page of which featured an account of police having arrested Hill and his wife, Mary, on a number of abuse charges involving children. By Charles Winokoor.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x1789524324/Man-takes-hundreds-of-newspapers-in-effort-to-quiet-news-of-criminal-charges

QUINTUPLE MURDER FOLO: Cops looking for truck in Beason murder probe - LINCOLN – Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said Wednesday that authorities are searching for a “gray, primered” pickup truck that was seen in the small town of Beason just after midnight Monday. The truck’s occupant or occupants are believed to have some relation to the murders of five members of the Raymond “Rick” Gee family. State Journal-Register. Will be updated.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1073707810/Cops-looking-for-truck-in-Beason-murder-probe

MAKING CENTS: Ensure you have enough coverage -- The most common group benefits offered by employers are health insurance, life insurance and disability insurance. In most cases, the group health insurance is adequate for a family's health care needs. But questions arise when we look into group life insurance and group disability insurance. By John P. Napolitano / The Patriot Ledger
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1789520205/Making-Cents-Ensure-you-have-enough-coverage

CHECKOUT LANE: Tips for getting a facial -- Susan Perry, owner of Susan Perry Skin Care/Day Spa in Plymouth, Mass., says warding off wrinkles can help you gain competitive advantage at work. “Age discrimination is out there. You want to look fresh and young in the workplace.” By Brent Lang / The Patriot Ledger
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x576513900/Checkout-Lane-Tips-for-getting-a-facial

FINE PRINT: Renters fleeced by phony landlords -- The Better Business Bureau has noticed a surge in bogus rental listings on online classified ad sites such as Craigslist that are intended to scam people out of their deposits. The Patriot Ledger
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1692319329/Fine-Print-Renters-fleeced-by-phony-landlords

BIZ BITS: Weekly business rail, with tips for first-time home buyers, a BBB warning on robocalls and more.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x2028881288/Biz-Bits-Tips-for-first-time-home-buyers

HIRING FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Retailers expected to hire for the holidays - ROCKFORD – Stores and potential employees alike are hoping for a more robust holiday hiring season than the record lows of 2008. Some stores are already adding extra help for the long road to Christmas, although many may wait to see how their sales turn out before bringing on more staff. By Sean F. Driscoll of the Rockford Register Star. To localize: Check with local retailers and see what their plans are for seasonal hiring.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1699594684/Retailers-expected-to-hire-for-the-holidays

DIRECT SALES: Business booms again for direct-sales merchants - ROCKFORD – Erin Clausen had no luck finding a summer job when she returned home from the University of Wyoming this year. So she turned to lia sophia. As the recession continues, more people have turned to direct-sale opportunities, including Mary Kay and Arbonne, to bring in extra cash. By Sean F. Driscoll of the Rockford Register Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1073707751/Business-booms-again-for-direct-sales-merchants

KEEP IT GREEN: Landowners work to preserve farmland -- In the midst of fruit trees and evergreens, several ponds and corn stalks, Keith Jackson’s 60-acre piece of land is devoid of urbanization. And by signing a lease agreement with the state of Ohio, Jackson is doing all he can to ensure that housing subdivisions and commercial developments never take root on this farm.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/agriculture/x2024000275/Landowners-work-to-preserve-farmland
To localize: Does your state have easement agreements that restrict property usage? Is there property in your county that is preserved as farmland? Check with state Department of Agriculture, and speak to farmers